Knitting machine



March 19, W35. H. SWINGLEHURST KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 22, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INV ENTOR HARRY SWINGLEHURST BY HIS ATTORNEYS March 19, 1935.

H. SWINGLEHURST KNITTING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 22, 1935 INVENTOR HARRY SWINGLEHURST BY HIS ATTORNEYS' March 19, 1935. swm s-r I 1 ,995,231

KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 22, 1933 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 mm I L S & 8 7 (u p T QM 6 m; o. a mm 8 m 1' e W m M a #m V w u 3. E mm mm. N w vm .ww g mm N W ow m u 3 O 0 [I mm mm INVENTOR HARRY SWINGLEHURST BY HIS ATTORNEYS March 19, 1935. sw T 1,995,231

KNITTING MACHINE Filed April 22, 1933 4-Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR HARRY SWINGLEHURST BY HIS ATTORNEYS mm a; M

Patented Mar. 19, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNITTING MACHINE Harry Swinglehurst, Orange, N. J., assignor to Scott 8: Williams, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April -22, ,1933, Serial No. 667,449

11 Claims.

will prevent the pressing off of the loops from both the dial and cylinder needles in case of yarn failure and to control the operation of such means by yarn controlled means. It is also an object of this invention to provide means for stopping the machine also controlled by theyarn controlled means and it is also an object of this invention to prevent the pressing 011 of the loops by operating both the cylinder and dial needles to tuck positions instead of clearing position upon failure of a yarn and to provide means for doing this in a machine of the type described which is arranged to knit both plain and tuck work at some of the yarn feeds.

In the drawings- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of the head of a rib knitting machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the structure shown in Fig. 1 taken just above the dial cam cap, the arrangement at two yarn feeds being shown with the machine arranged to knit plain courses at both yarn feeds and adapted to be shifted to knit tuck courses at one yarn feed and plain courses at the other yarn feed;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken at a yarn feed arranged to knit tuck work;

Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken as on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3 and showing the position of the Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the yarn controlled means as seen from the right in Fig. 3 and shown raised from the cam operating ring to show the recessin the ring for the cam operating pin; Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the cylinder needle clearing cam and its operating means;

Figs. '7 and 8 are views showing the relation of the dial needle clearing cam and the latching means therefor, the clearing cam being in position for knitting plain work in Fig. '7 and tuck work in Fig. 8 at'those yarn feeds at which tuck work is knit in the normal operation of the ma-' chine; and

Figs. 9 and 10 are views similar to Figs. 7 and 8 at those yarn feeds where tuck work is not 55 to a knitting machine having a fixed cylinder and 'formedlintegral with the gear ring 11.

I yarn controlled latch upon a failure of the yarn;

normally knitted, Fig. 9 showing the relation d-ialbut it isequally'applicable to a knitting machine having a rotating-cylinder and dial. -As shown in the drawings, a machine constructed in accordance with this invention may comprise a bedplate 1 supported on standards, not shown, of 5 any usual construction. Fixedly supported upon the bedplate 1 is a needle cylinder 2 which receives the usual latch needles. Fixed with respect to the needle cylinder 2 is the needle dial 4 which is supported from the spindle 6 but held against 10 rotation in any suitable manner, as by the usual engaging dogs, not shown, on the needle cylinder and dial. The spindle 6 which supports the dial 4 is supported by a spider 8 carried on pillars 10 mounted, in the gear ring 11 which carries the 15 sectional cylinder cam ring 12 and filling ring sections13. The spindle 6 is secured to the hub of the spider 8 so as to rotate therewith.v The gear ring 11 is mounted on the bedplate 1 for rotation thereon and driven by a pinion, not shown, which meshes with the gear teeth 14 Thecam ring 12 hasthe usual needle operating cams at each yarn feed, among them being the cylinder needle clearing cam 16 mounted for vertical movement between' positions in which the cylinder needles are cleared and positions in which the needles tucki The clearing cam 16 is secured to a plunger 18'by means of a countersunk screw 20, the plunger 18 being mounted in the cam ring 12 for vertical reciprocation.

The needles in the dial 4 are operated by the usual knitting cams at each yarn feed, among them being a clearing cam 22 which is pivotally supported on the dial cap 23 by means of shouldered screw 24 and has secured thereto a pin 26 which extends through an opening in the dial cam cap 23' and through a recess 25 formed in a ring 28 rotatably mounted on the dial cam cap 23. The ring 28 may be shifted on the dial cam cap 23 by anysuitable operating mechanism operating from the pattern drum or chain, such mechanism being shown in the patent to Swinglehurst, No. 1,115,128, October 24, 1914, the movement of the ring 28 serving through engagement with pins 26 to operate some of the cams 22 between clearing and tucking positions. At each of the yarn feeds where it is desired to tuck in the normal operation of the machine a bracket is secured to the ring 28 and has pivotally mounted thereon a bell crank lever 32, one arm cured to the bracket 30. When the bell crank lever 32 is engaged by the latch 34 the pin 26 is held at the left side of the recess in the ring 28, as shown in Figure 7. To the other arm of the bell crank lever is connected one end of a link 36, the other end of which is connected to one arm of a lever 38 pivotally mounted upon a bracket 40 carried by the gear ring 11. The other arm of the lever 38 is connected to the upper end of the plunger 18. Projecting from the plunger 18 is a pin 42 which engages one end of a lever arm 44,'the other end of which is fast on an end of the shaft 46 journalled in bearings 48 carried by the bracket 40. To the other end of the shaft 46 is secured a resetting lever 50 which engages between the shoulders 52 and 54 of a plunger 56 mounted for vertical reciprocation in guides 58 attached to the bracket 40.

In an annular groove in the bedplate 1 there is rotatably mounted a ring 60 which extends beneath the plunger 56 and has formed thereon spaced projections 62 between which the plunger 56 engages when lowered by operation of the lever 50. Engagement of the plunger 56, with a projection 62 on the ring 60 causes the ring 60 to be rotated and to stop the machine by a suitable stop mechanism such as is shown in the patent to Scott, No. 679,641, issued July 30, 1901.

Yarn for the needles is supplied from'bobbins or spools supported upon a yarn carrier (not shown) on the spindle 6 androtating therewith and is guided to, the needles by a yarn guide 64 mounted upon a bracket 65 secured to the dial cam cap 23.' As shown in the drawings each yarn 66, prior to reaching the yarn guide 64, is interlaced between the fixed grid 68 and amovable grid '70, both supported from a bracket 72 carried by a spider 74 which rotates with the spindle 6. The movable grid '70 is formed with a supporting arm the end portion of which is shaped as a coil to fit a pivot pin 76 carried by the bracket 72 and supporting the grid 70 for rotation about the pin '76. The end '70 of the coil portion of the supporting arm '70 engages in an opening in the upper end of a trip rod 78 and supports the rod above an end of the latch 34 when the grid is in its raised position. To ensure the trip rod 78 maintaining a position above the latch 34 so as to contact therewith when dropped a guide 80 attached to the bracket 30 is provided.

As stated above at the yarn feeds where it is desired to knit tuck work during normal operation of the machine the brackets 30 are attached to the ring 28 and the bell crank levers 32 are held against the pins 26, confining the pins 26 between the left sides of the recesses 25 and the arms of the bell crank levers 32 when the arms of the bell crank levers 32 are engaged by the latches. When thering 28 is shifted to knit tuck work at the yarn guides where the brackets 30 are mounted upon the ring 28 the pins 26 in the recesses 25 are moved to the right shifting the cams 22 to the tuck position as shown in Figure 8, but during this operation the bell crank levers 32 remain in engagement with the pins 26 and are engaged by the latches 34, there being sufllcient play in the links 36 to permit of this movement of the brackets 30 and bell crank levers 32 with the ring 28 without operating the connected parts.

At those yarn feeds where it is not desired to knit tuck work during the normal operation of the machine the brackets 30* are mounted on the dial cam cap 23 and the recesses 25 in the ring 28 are longer than the recesses 25 at the other yarn feeds so that the bell crank levers 32, when engaged by the latches 34, are held against the pins 26 which at that time are at the center of the recesses 25'. When the ring 28 is. operated to shift the cams 22 at some of the yarn feeds for the knitting of tuck work the pins 26 in the recesses 25 are not operated by the ring 28 as the ring 28 moves only to a position in which the left sides of the recesses 25, as seen in Figures 9 and 10, engage with the pins 26, as shown inFigure 10, the pins 26 not being operated by the ring 28. In each case it will be noted that with the ring 28 in position for knitting plain work there is sufficient space to the right of the pins 26 to permit movement of the pins to the right and movement of the cams 22 to the tucking position upon release of the pins 26 by the bell crank levers 32.

When the ring 28 is operated to return the cams 22 from the position for knitting tuck work to the position for knitting plain work only the cams 22 at the yarn feeds where the brackets 30 are mounted on the ring 28 are affected and at these yarn feeds the return of bracket 30 by the ring 28 causes the bell crank lever 32 to return the pin 26 and the dial needle clearing cam 22 to the position for plain knitting, the latch 34 preventing the bell crank lever 32 from turning. At'the other yarn feeds the ring 28 shifts relatively to the pins 26 and brackets 30 and the cams 22 at these yarn feeds are not operated.

In the operation of this device the yarns fed to the needles are under sufficient tension to retain the movable grids '70 adjacent the fixed grids 68, as shown in Figure 1. With the grids 70 in the raised position the trip rods 78 are held clear of the latches 34. At this time the latches 34 are in engagement with the arms of the bell crank levers 32 and the bell crank levers are in engagement with the pins 26 holding the cams 22 in position to clear the latches of the dial needles. The bell crank levers 32, through their connections by links 36 and levers 38 with the plungers 18, hold the cylinder needle clearing cams 16 in their raised position in which the latches of the cylinder needles are cleared. While the plungers 18 are held in raised position the pins 42 hold the levers 44 raised and through shafts 46 and levers 50 hold the plungers 56 raised to clear the projections 62 on the ring 60. Upon failure of a yarn, either through breaking of the yarn or the running out of the yarn on a spool, the movable grid 70 held up by that yarn is released and falls to a position ,such as shown cam 16 to the tucking position, the operation of the cams 22 and 16 shifting the bell crank lever 32 and lowering the plunger 18. Movement of the plunger 18 with the cam 16 lowers the lever arm 44 and the lever arm 50 causing the plunger 56 to drop and engage with a projection 62 on ring 60, rotating the ring 60 and stopping the machine. Upon the replenishment or joining of the yarn and the rethreading of the yarn through the grids 68 and 70 to the yarn guide 64 and the needles, the mechanism is reset by lifting the arm 50 which, through its engagement with the collar 52, raises the plunger 56, disengaging the plunger 56 from the projection 62 on the ring 60. Operation of the arm 50 also rotates the shaft 46 moving the lever arm 44 and raising the plunger 18. Movement of the plunger 18 raises the cam 16 to the clearing position and also operates the lever 38 to return the bell crank lever 32 to a position in which the latch 34 engages the arm of the bell crank. The movement of the bell crank 32 through its-engagement with the pin 26 returns the cam 22 to the normal clearing position. The tension upon the yarn 66 at this time keeps the trip rod '78 from releasing the latch 34. The machine is then started in the usual manner.

Should the yarn break at a yarn feed where tuckwork was then being knit it will be noted that while bell crank lever 32 will be released, the cylinder needle clearing cam 16 moved to the tuck position and the plunger 56 engaged with a projection 62 on ring 60 to stop the machine, the dial needle clearing cam 22 at that yarn feed will remain in the tuck position and that the operation of the mechanism to shift the cylinder needle clearing cam to the tuck position and to stop the machine upon the breaking of a yarn is not aifected because the machine is knitting tuck work at some of the yarn feeds.

What is claimed is:

1. In a rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles, clearing cams for said needles movable between tucking and clearing positions, latching means for holding said cams in clearing position, yam controlled means operating said latch upon a failure of yarn to permit said cams to shift to tuck position and means for shifting said dial needle clearing cams to tuck position with said yarn controlled means kept from operating by its yarn.

2. In a rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles, clearing cams for said needles movable between tucking and clearing positions, machine stopping mechanism, latching means for holding said cams in clearing position, yarn controlled means operating said latch upon a failure of yarn to permit said cams to shift to tuck position and cause operation of said machine stopping mechanism and means for shifting said dial needle clearing cams to tuck position with said yarn controlled means kept from operating by its yarn.

3. In a rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles, clearing cams for said needles movable from clearing to tucking position, latching means holding said cams in clearing position and means shifting said dial needle clearing cam to tucking position while retaining said latching means engaged.

4. In a rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles,- clearing cams for said needles movable from clearing to tucking position, machine stopping mechanism, latching means holding said cams in clearing position and means shifting said dial needle clearing cam to tucking position while retaining said latching means engaged and said machine stopping mechanism inoperative.

5. In a rib knitting machine having independent needles, a clearing cam for some of said needles movable from clearing to tucking position, latching means holding said cam in clearing position and means shifting said cam to tucking position while said latching means is retained in latching position.

6. In a rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles, clearing cams for said needles movable from clearing to tucking position, latching means holding said cams in clearing position and means shifting said dial needle clearing cam to tucking position while said cylinder needle clearing cam is retained in clearing position and said latching means engaged.

I. Ii: a rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles, clearing cams for said dial needles, means for shifting some of said clearing cams to knit tuck work during normal operation, means for holding said clearing cams in clearing position during plain knitting and means for releasing said holding means upon yarn failure, said holding means remaining engaged upon the shifting of said clearing cams to tucking position during normal knitting.

8. In a rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles, clearing cams for said needles movable to tuck position, yarn controlled means preventing movement of said cams to tuck position and pattern controlled means for operating said dial needle clearing cams between tuck and clearing positions while said yarn controlled means is in operative position.

9. In a rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles, clearing cams for said needles movable to tuck position, yarn controlled means for preventing movement of said cams to tuck position, pattern controlled means for operating said dial needle clearing cams between tuck and clearing position with said yarn controlled means in operative position and machine stopping mechanism rendered operative when said yarn con-- trolled means is positioned for movement of said cams to tuck position.

10. In a rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles, clearing cams for said needles to tuck position with said pattern controlled.

means positioned for clearing position of said cams.

11. In a rib knitting machine having cylinder and dial needles, clearing cams forsaid needles movable to tuck position, yarn controlled means for preventing movement of said cams to tuck position, pattern controlled means for operating said dial needle clearing cams between tuck and clearing positions with said yarn controlled means in operative position, and machine stopping mechanism rendered operative when said yarn controlled means is positioned for movement of I said cams to tuck position, said yarn controlled means being arranged to be positioned for movement of said cams to tuck position withsaid pattern controlled means positioned for clearing position of said dial needle clearing cams.

HARRY SWINGLEHURST. 

